This week saw Jose Fonte sacrificed for a much needed £1.2m, but how many more will be asked to follow the former Benfica man out the door before the window slams shut?

Jose was a vitally important part of what is one of the best defences in the league and he is certainly the best centre back I have seen at Selhurst Park since Gonzalo Sorondo in 2004/05.

He possessed a nice blend of composure, timing and positioning and was popular with the fans as well, winning their player of the year last season.

The most pleasing part of his game however, was his ability to play his way out of defence rather than a big diagonal hoof in the time honoured Fitz Hall fashion.

Following his departure, I fear for what’s left of our defence, which now looks decidedly threadbare.

Paddy McCarthy is a long-term absentee, Claude Davis is hardly bullet-proof and the prospect of Matt Lawrence’s return to the first team fills me with a strong sense of foreboding.

Sadly however, business is business and his sale helped the remaining squad get paid in full yesterday.

The big question on the lips of many fans is just what the scale of the exodus will be this month.

Neil Danns has been strongly linked with Southampton and Nottingham Forest, Sean Derry and Clint Hill have been linked to moves with their contracts expiring while the race is hotting up for Victor Moses.

The latest rumour is a £3.5m move to Manchester City which could see him loaned back to us for the rest of the season, which would be a good deal for both the club and the boy who like Fonte doesn’t seem to want to leave.

In other news, Neil Warnock hinted in his Saturday Independent column that the future looks brighter and in doing so set tongues wagging with regard to an impending takeover.

The usual strange array of names have cropped up from a consortium containing Ron Noades and Sam Hamman to the owner of the Baltimore Ravens in a week full of rumour and hearsay.

I for one am growing tired of all these rumours and false dawns.

Instead I would prefer to just get it over with, whether that be a takeover or administration it’s always better to know what we're facing.

Unfortunately, as ever we won’t be getting any information from Simon Jordan, who has never been one to keep the fans up to date with the club's situation.

Instead, I will have to keep my fingers crossed someone is brave enough to come in and stabilise the club.

I like many would even welcome Noades back, the man vilified for his part in the mess the club finds itself in.

You can tell he is waiting in the background but I can’t see him being in any rush to rescue Jordan from his current money problems so any deal would seem to be on the proviso of picking the club up on the cheap after administration.